


Silence is Golden

by enigmaticblue



Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-08
Updated: 2013-12-08
Packaged: 2018-01-04 00:29:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1074898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Apparently, silence is golden,” Tony says, and wishes the ringing in his ears would just fucking go away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silence is Golden

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the hc_bingo prompt “loss of hearing”. I should say that I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, so there may be inaccuracies, even though I tried to do my research. Treating tinnitus with hearing aids is a real thing, though.

Tony glances up from his simulation when Bruce wanders into his lab, hands tucked into the pockets of his well-worn khakis. “You rang?” Bruce says wryly.

 

“I did!” Tony replies. “How’s Cap settling in?”

 

“For a guy that nearly died a few days ago, he’s doing remarkably well,” Bruce replies. “I’m surprised you weren’t there to needle him.”

 

Tony shrugs. “When a guy gets stabbed, poisoned, and nearly dies, he’s due a little break, which is why I’m in the lab.”

 

Bruce smiles. “Also, you have a project that you don’t want to leave.”

 

Tony gestures to the space between them. “You and me, Brucie. We’re simpatico.”

 

Bruce rolls his eyes, but a smile is tugging at his lips. “What have you got?”

 

Rubbing his hands together, Tony turns to the metal cube that’s floating in the middle of a force field on his worktable. “I have _this_ , which SHIELD apparently liberated from the lab of that organization Cap and Natasha were looking for. They think it’s some kind of alien power source. I need your brain.”

 

“At your service,” Bruce replies cheerfully, and Tony gives him a sharp look.

 

He’s been flirting with Bruce for months now, but he’s never sure whether Bruce is flirting back, or if he’s just trolling him.

 

It’s so hard to tell with Bruce.

 

“It’s giving off some kind of gamma radiation, and maybe a couple of other kinds of radiation, and I can’t make heads or tails of the readings.” Tony spun around in his chair. “I was hoping you could help.”

 

Bruce pulls his glasses out of his shirt pocket. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”

 

Tony has actually had a conversation with Pepper about Bruce’s glasses, and how irresistible he is when he wears them. Oddly enough, they both have the same taste in men.

 

Or maybe it’s not so odd, given that they’re together.

 

Working with Bruce is always pleasant, and Tony is incredibly grateful that Bruce agreed to stick around. And, while Tony loves Pepper more than life, and she can do a lot of things that he can’t do—like deal with people, and run Stark Industries—she’s not a lab partner, and she can’t keep up with him when he goes on a tear.

 

Not like Bruce.

 

Bruce lets out a low whistle when he sees the readout. “That’s not a combination you see every day. It’s incredibly unstable.”

 

“Hence, the force field,” Tony replies. “Well? Do you think you can do anything with it?”

 

“I think I can probably find some answers,” Bruce replies. “But I’d rather not _do_ anything with it.”

 

Tony waves at it.

 

“Yes, I know, that’s what the force field is for,” Bruce says, not looking up, holding a hand out for a tablet.

 

The fact that Bruce knows Tony will read his intention and hand it to him is a good indication of just how well they work together.

 

“Hmm…” Bruce says as he looks at the data. “Interesting.”

 

Tony sits back and waits for Bruce to fill him in.

 

“You know, this reminds me a little of the tesseract,” Bruce murmurs. “Granted, that gave off a lot more gamma radiation, but it still skirted the fringes of known science.”

 

Tony grins. He loves it when Bruce talks dirty to him. “And this?”

 

“This is beyond what we know,” Bruce replies, still staring at the artifact. “But—did they use Chitauri technology? And is that biological?”

 

Tony has already come to much the same conclusion himself. The power source, whatever it is, is a mixture of human and alien technology, of the biological and mechanical. It’s advanced, unstable, and very, very scary.

 

“This is the same group that came up with a poison that would affect Steve,” Tony points out. “I think we have to assume that they’re good, and they know what they’re doing.”

 

Bruce hums his agreement. “Do you know if SHIELD got any other information about this group?”

 

“No one survived,” Tony replies. “And they were out of the lab by the time the SHIELD team got there.”

 

“Too bad,” Bruce murmurs. “Did they wipe the data?”

 

“Yep,” Tony replies. “And I think it’s pretty obvious why they didn’t take their toy with them.”

 

“Too unstable,” Bruce agrees absently, and then he straightens abruptly. “How good is your force field, Tony?”

 

Tony sees the energy spike at the same time, and he swears at the data. “I’m not sure it’s that good.”

 

That’s all the warning they have before the energy levels go critical, and for a second, Tony thinks the force field is going to hold.

 

Bruce grabs Tony, pushing him to the floor and covering Tony’s body with his own.

 

Tony probably would have made a crack about being a damsel in distress, but the field fails, and everything goes a little fuzzy in a whoosh of sound and pain.

 

The next thing Tony knows, he’s lying on the floor, the lab around him in shambles, and the Hulk is crouched over him. The Hulk’s mouth is open, but Tony can’t really hear him over the ringing in his ears.

 

Tony raises his head and says, “I’m okay, Big Guy. Really. I’m fine.”

 

He sees movement, and has just enough time to recognize Steve before the Hulk puts himself between Steve and Tony. Tony can’t hear what’s being said, but the Hulk’s posture is menacing, and Tony figures Steve has about two seconds before the Hulk tries to smash him.

 

Tony clambers to his feet, lurching forward to put a hand on the Hulk’s arm, which he knows is a calculated risk. “It’s really okay,” Tony says, and he can’t hear himself either, so he has no idea how loud he’s speaking, or if he’s getting through. “I need Bruce, though. Please.”

 

The Hulk vibrates with tension, and Tony realizes that Steve’s mouth is moving. Steve looks pale and tired, but he’s on his feet, and he looks okay otherwise, just worried.

 

“I can’t hear either of you,” Tony says, feeling a touch of panic. “My ears are ringing.”

 

Steve must say something else, and he holds up his hands in surrender, which seems to calm the Hulk down slightly. A few seconds later, the green begins to fade, and the Hulk shrinks down, until it’s just Bruce, who looks a little unsteady on his feet.

 

Steve reaches for Bruce and is waved off. Bruce turns to Tony, saying something, although Tony can’t tell what it is.

 

And then Bruce is pulling Tony out of the lab. There are others milling about in the hall, and Tony wonders if anybody had called the fire department yet. He suspects they had, but were waiting for someone to talk the Hulk down.

 

Generally speaking, it’s always best to keep civilians away from the Hulk.

 

Bruce and Steve steer Tony into the elevator, and once they reach the Penthouse, over to the couch.

 

Bruce hands Tony a Stark Pad, and before Tony can ask what he’s doing—which would do a fat lot of good, since he can’t hear the answer—the screen lights up with, “Jarvis is going to translate for me. Are you hurt?”

 

Tony shakes his head. “Bumps and bruises. The Other Guy spared me from the worst of it.” He feels like he might be shouting, but he just can’t tell. “You?”

 

“I’m fine. What about your ears?”

 

“They’re ringing, and I can’t hear anything.”

 

Bruce reaches out, tilting Tony’s face with a gentle touch, saying something that Tony’s pretty sure is “no blood,” although he glances at the screen to be sure.

 

“We should get him to medical,” the screen reads, and since Bruce’s mouth hadn’t moved, Tony assumes Steve said that.

 

Tony sighs, but he can’t argue. “I think Bruce needs some clothes first.”

 

Bruce grimaces. “There goes another pair of pants,” and Tony doesn’t have to hear his voice to know he sounds rueful and wry all at once.

 

Bruce pats Tony on the shoulder, and Tony leans his head against the back of the couch.

 

And then he realizes that he’s not going to be able to hear Pepper reading him the riot act for blowing up his lab. So, maybe there is a bright spot.

 

~~~~~

 

The nice thing about going to SHIELD medical is that they’re used to weird things happening. Tony doesn’t have Jarvis to translate for him, but Bruce texts Tony with the pertinent information from the doctors.

 

The upshot seems to be that multiple explosions with Tony in close proximity over the last few years has resulted in damage to his hearing, which he may or may not recover from. Best case scenario, the tinnitus subsides and Tony has to turn the sound up on his music. Worst case scenario, nothing improves.

 

 _Should get better in two days,_ Bruce texts.

 

“If it’s going to,” Tony says sourly.

 

Bruce slings an arm over Tony’s shoulders and pulls him in close, and Tony knows Bruce is worried. Bruce rarely initiates physical contact, although he never seems to mind when Tony touches him.

 

The doctor gives him something for the headache, and Tony lets Bruce fill Steve in on the details as they head back to the Tower from SHIELD’s New York headquarters.

 

Tony wonders how much he’s going to have to drink to knock himself out. He’s not sure he’ll get to sleep otherwise, what with the constant ringing in his ears.

 

Bruce nudges him when the car pulls up outside the Tower. Tony notices that Bruce keeps in near-constant contact with a reassuring hand on his arm or back.

 

Tony can’t say he minds, except for how he knows Bruce is worried, and Tony wishes the circumstances had been different.

 

He’d really prefer that Bruce touched him for sexy reasons.

 

Bruce herds him to the couch, and then pours a drink for him without being asked.

 

Clint enters a few minutes later, looking a little freaked out, and he starts speaking immediately.

 

Tony doesn’t look at him, instead focusing on his drink, letting Bruce do the heavy lifting.

 

Bruce holds the Stark Pad in front of Tony’s face after a couple of minutes. _Clint wants to know if you’re okay._

 

Trust Bruce not to use any abbreviations. Tony responds by giving Clint a thumbs up and downing the rest of his drink.

 

Bruce gives him a refill without being asked, and now Tony _knows_ Bruce is feeling sorry for him.

 

Clint is speaking again, and Jarvis translates. _How do you feel?_

 

“Just peachy,” Tony replies, sipping his drink. “Look, I’m really tired. Maybe we can do the sharing thing later.”

 

He retreats to his bedroom and flops back on his bed.

 

He’s still lying there when Pepper enters, and she stops next to the bed with her hands on her hips.

 

Tony just looks at her, not saying anything.

 

Pepper shakes her head, and then she steps out of her heels and lies down next to Tony, still in her very nice dress. She doesn’t even try to say anything, just pulls Tony close and presses her lips to his forehead, and then his eyelids, and then his neck.

 

Tony holds her tightly, burying his face in her hair, and is grateful when she hangs on the same way.

 

He falls asleep like that, and when he wakes up, Pepper is gone, and someone has tucked him in. He can only assume it was Pepper, but he can’t be sure.

 

Tony thinks the ringing in his ears has subsided somewhat, but if there has been improvement, it’s not measurable. It’s still fucking annoying.

 

“Apparently, silence is golden,” Tony says aloud, knowing there’s no one around to hear him, and wishes the ringing in his ears would just fucking _go away_.

 

Maybe he should drink more. If he spends the next two days on a bender, he might not even notice.

 

And if it doesn’t clear up in a couple of days, well, Tony will figure it out then.

 

When Tony stumbles out, planning on starting his drinking early, he sees Bruce seated on the couch, clothing rumpled, hair disordered, obviously weary. Tony’s seen him pull enough all-nighters to recognize the signs.

 

“Were you up all night?” he asks.

 

Bruce hitches a shoulder. “Here.”

 

Tony can’t hear him, but it’s easy enough to tell what he’s saying, and he holds out a hand to let Bruce drop a couple of small gadgets on his palm. “What is this?”

 

Bruce responds by pulling up the schematics on the holographic projector, and Tony sees a floating model of a human ear, and the mechanical specs for the items he holds. It takes him a few seconds to realize what the hearing aids are supposed to do, and he glances at Bruce in surprise before slipping the hearing aids into his ears.

 

It’s a little strange; the white noise they generate seems loud at first, and then—

 

Well, it’s not exactly silent, but the tinnitus is no longer overwhelming either.

 

“How is it?” Bruce asks, his words scrolling across the hologram as Jarvis translates.

 

Now that the ringing is masked, Tony can almost make out the individual words, although they’re muffled and indistinct.

 

“Better,” Tony replies, unable to hide his relief. “Bruce, you didn’t have to do this.”

 

Bruce just looks at him steadily. “Did it help?” When Tony nods, Bruce replies, “Then yes, I had to do it.”

 

Tony nods, wanting nothing more than to reach out and haul Bruce close, but he doesn’t feel as though he can right now. That’s a conversation he’d rather have once he’s completely back to normal.

 

Or when he figures out whether he _will_ be getting back to normal.

 

“If you’re up for it, we have data to review from the explosion,” Bruce says, his words still projected in the hologram, like subtitles for Tony’s life.

 

“I’m up for it,” Tony agrees, because he can think again with the ringing masked, and Bruce had just stayed up all night to make Tony’s life a little easier.

 

Tony’s not going to waste Bruce’s gift.

 

~~~~~

 

His hearing _does_ get better, although the ringing still hasn’t completely subsided a couple of days later. The doctors seem cautiously optimistic, and the hearing aids mask the ringing almost entirely now.

 

Tony doesn’t _have_ to wear them, but he’s more comfortable when he does, and they feel like a tangible reminder of what Bruce is willing to do for him.

 

He waits until they’ve sorted through most of the data and have a good start on understanding what it was, and what it could do.

 

“I’m going to go out for a drink with Clint tonight,” Bruce says. “You want to come with us?”

 

Tony shakes his head. He’s noticed that he has a hard time following a conversation when there’s a lot of background noise. “I need to talk with Pepper,” Tony replies. “Now that I can actually _have_ a conversation without needing Jarvis to translate.”

 

Bruce gives him a curious look. “Then you’re feeling better?”

 

“I’ve certainly been worse,” Tony replies.

 

Bruce clasps his shoulder. “Good. See you tomorrow?”

 

“You’d better,” Tony replies.

 

When Pepper arrives home that night, she brings dinner from one of Tony’s favorite restaurants.

 

“You don’t have to coddle me, you know,” Tony protests, although he doesn’t really mind.

 

Pepper smiles. “I have to eat, and so do you. How are you?”

 

Tony shrugs. “I’m fine.”

 

“And the ears?”

 

“I’m not sure the ringing is ever going to go away, but Bruce’s little gadgets help considerably,” Tony says.

 

Pepper hums under her breath, giving him a long look. “Bruce has been very attentive.”

 

“He seems to be making a habit out of saving my life,” Tony says. “I want to keep him.”

 

Pepper raises an eyebrow. “Are you asking for permission or participation?”

 

“Both?” Tony hazards. “I didn’t think you would have a problem with it, considering that you like him.”

 

“Do you think he’s interested?” Pepper counters.

 

Tony sighs. “God, I hope so. Otherwise, it’s just going to be really awkward.”

 

Pepper laughs. “A little bit. Is it worth it?”

 

“I think it could be fantastic,” Tony replies sincerely. “What do you say?”

 

Pepper shrugs. “I’d like to watch the first time if you manage to talk him into it.”

 

“Absolutely,” Tony promises.

 

~~~~~

 

Tony has a hard time waiting for anything he wants, so he waits up that night. Pepper is taking the next day off, so she waits with him, reading a book while he tinkers with a new AI code.

 

Not that he’ll be able to improve on Jarvis, but he wants to give Bruce something, and an AI of his own seems like a start.

 

Other than multiple orgasms, but if that doesn’t work out, Tony figures this might keep him around.

 

The elevator opens, and Bruce walks out, his face flushed, and he breaks out in a wide grin when he sees them. “Hey! I didn’t think you guys would still be awake.”

 

Tony exchanges an amused look with Pepper. “Are you drunk?” he asks.

 

Bruce thinks about it for a moment. “Little bit. I think it’s settling into a pleasant buzz, though. Were you guys waiting for something in particular?”

 

Tony decides that there’s no sense in having a long drawn out conversation—actions speak louder, after all.

 

“We were waiting for you,” Tony says, getting to his feet. “I don’t think I’ve thanked you properly for saving my life again.”

 

Bruce looks puzzled. “You alive is pretty much reward enough.”

 

Tony approaches slowly, and Bruce watches him, glancing at Pepper occasionally. “Don’t freak out, okay?”

 

Bruce frowns. “Why would I—”

 

Tony cuts off Bruce’s words with a kiss, and Bruce returns the kiss with interest until he stops, pulling back abruptly. “Pepper—”

 

“She’s on board,” Tony replies. “In fact, she wants to watch. Maybe even participate if you’re up for it.”

 

Bruce blinks. “Okay, so, I don’t _feel_ that drunk, but I’ve been wrong before.”

 

Tony steps back. “We can wait until you’re sober.”

 

“Don’t stop on my account,” Pepper says, her voice warm and amused.

 

Bruce takes a deep breath. “Well, then. Let’s take it from the top, shall we?”

 

And Tony thinks that nearly getting blown up has paid off in spades.


End file.
